Field Level Media
Sep 20, 2019
Trea Turner homered twice, and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run shot, leading the Washington Nationals to a 6-4 win over the host Miami Marlins on Friday night.
It was loss No. 100 for the Marlins, who have reached that negative milestone just two other times in franchise history, most recently in 2013.
Washington (84-68) maintained a one-game lead on Milwaukee for the first National League wild card after the Brewers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 Friday.
For the Nationals, Cabrera has 17 homers this season, and Turner has 16. Third baseman Anthony Rendon, who entered the night leading the league in batting average, went 0-for-4. His average dropped from .330 to .328.
Marlins third baseman Starlin Castro homered and doubled, going 3-for-4 with two runs. The home run was his 21st of the season, tying his career high.
Anibal Sanchez (10-8) reached double-figure wins for the first time since 2015, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits in five-plus innings. He had one strikeout and one walk.
Daniel Hudson pitched two scoreless innings for his fifth save of the season.
Rookie Robert Dugger (0-3) remained winless in six major league starts. In five innings, he allowed four runs -- all on homers. He gave up three hits and two walks, and he struck out four.
Both teams scored in the third inning. Turner drilled a solo homer to center. Miami tied the score 1-1 when Austin Dean pulled a leadoff double to left, and Jon Berti drove him in with an opposite-field single to right.
Washington took a 4-1 lead in the fourth. Juan Soto drew an eight-pitch walk, Howie Kendrick singled, and Cabrera jumped on a first-pitch fastball for his homer.
Miami (53-100) cut its deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth on Castro's homer. It was the longest ball hit all night at 416 feet.
Washington went up 5-2 in the sixth. Kendrick singled with two outs and came around to score on Victor Robles' hit. Robles was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, but -- after a review -- it was ruled that Kendrick scored before the tag was made at second.
Miami came back again, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth. Neil Walker drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a Castro double that hit high off the wall in center. After Wander Suero replaced Sanchez, Walker scored on Isan Diaz's single. Castro scored when Suero threw wildly to first in an attempt to pick off Diaz.
Turner's second homer gave the Nationals a 6-4 lead in the seventh, and Washington's bullpen held on from there as four pitchers combined to toss four scoreless innings.
--Field Level Media